The best museum in every state

MET
There are a lot of museums in New York, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the crowd favorite. Drew XXX/Flickr

There are a lot of great museums to see in America. 

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From art museums to science museums to living history, there's almost too many to choose from. Luckily, we've partnered up with city-app Foursquare to make it a bit easier. 

This is the best museum in every state, according to the around 50 million active users on Foursquare.

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Alabama: U.S. Space and Rocket Center

alabama space museum rocket
Bryan Hughes/Foursquare

Location: Huntsville, Alabama

Foursquare rating: 9.30

As one of the best comprehensive space flight museums — it includes NASA's Space Camp and Official Visitor Information Center — this museum is out of this world.

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Alaska: Anchorage Museum

anchorage museum alaska
Scott McMurren/Foursquare

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Foursquare rating: 8.92

The Smithsonian Institution has loaned indigenous artifacts to the Anchorage Museum for study by Alaska Native elders and scholars. Over 600 are displayed in the permanent exhibition "Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska."

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Arizona: Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Art Museum/Foursquare

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Foursquare rating: 9.42

Enjoy live music on the first Friday of every month while you peruse over 17,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary, and Western American art.

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Arkansas: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

arkansas art museum
Lauren Drittler/Foursquare

Location: Bountifully, Arkansas

Foursquare rating: 9.38

The collection of art ranges from colonial to pop, and the trails around the museum make the building itself a work of art.

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California: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

california museum costumes hollywood
M❤️ Cat/Foursquare

Location: Los Angeles, California

Foursquare rating: 9.57

Don't miss the collection of famous film costumes alongside interviews with directors, actors, and costume designers.

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Colorado: Denver Museum of Nature and Science

denver dinosaurs
Jason Sutton/Foursquare

Location: Denver, Colorado

Foursquare rating: 9.36

Mummies, dinosaurs, gems and minerals, and a planetarium means there's no shortage of cool stuff to see.

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District of Columbia: National Air and Space Museum

air and space museum dc
Daniel Costa de Oliveira/Foursquare

Location: Washington, DC

Foursquare rating: 9.47

From the Wright Brothers' early planes to NASA's galaxy-traversing spacecrafts, this museum in the nation's capital is top-notch.

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Delaware: Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

JeannetteLindvigIMG_1389_zps769af03a
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Location: Winterthur, Delaware

Foursquare rating: 8.82

In addition to the beautiful grounds, the exhibitions highlighting embroideries and shelf clocks will take you back in time.

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Florida: Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)

miami museum
Mabel Morales/Foursquare

Location: Miami, Florida

Foursquare rating: 9.30

Admission is free on the first Thursday and second Saturday of every month for this museum along the bay.

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Georgia: World of Coca-Cola

coke museum
Stephanie Miranda/Foursquare

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Foursquare rating: 8.75

Free soda, a picture with Coca-Cola's mascot polar bear, and a behind-the-scenes look at how this classic beverage gets made? Sign us up.

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Hawaii: Honolulu Museum of Art

hawaii museum
hataratti/Foursquare

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Foursquare rating: 9.18

This museum is home to one of the biggest collections of Asian art in the country.

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Idaho: Discovery Center of Idaho

idaho museum
Eric Smith/Foursquare

Location: Boise, Idaho

Foursquare rating: 9.14

The interactive exhibits in the fields of science and technology are super kid-friendly.

 

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Illinois: The Art Institute of Chicago

chicago art institute
val m/Foursquare

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Foursquare rating: 9.59

The world-class art museum includes paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.

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Indiana: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

indiana children's museum
Vilma Milagros/Foursquare

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Foursquare rating: 9.40

The world's largest children's museum also boasts a carousel. 

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Iowa: Science Center of Iowa

iowa science museum
Christine Souilliard/Foursquare

Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Foursquare rating: 8.49

According to Foursquare users, the best place to watch a movie in the Des Moines area is in the Science Center's IMAX.

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Kansas: Exploration Place

wichita kansas museum mini golf
Gina E/Foursquare

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Foursquare rating: 8.68

After exploring this huge science museum and its giant dome theater (the largest in Kansas), swing by the 18-hole golf course along the Arkansas River.

 

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Kentucky: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

louisville sluggar
Bill Condo/Foursquare

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Foursquare rating: 9.22

Speaking of swinging by, this museum and factory packed with baseball memorabilia is a home run.

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Louisiana: The National WWII Museum

world war 2 museum new orleans
Art Reyes/Foursquare

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Foursquare rating: 9.38

Foursquare users suggest giving yourself three to five hours to wander through the exhibits — you won't want to miss a thing.

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Maine: Portland Museum of Art

maine art museum
Jill Huard/Foursquare

Location: Portland, Maine

Foursquare rating: 8.55

Maine's oldest art institution holds 17,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, and glass and ceramic pieces from the 18th century to the present.

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Maryland: American Visionary Art Museum

baltimore museum
Jonathan Anthes/Foursquare

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Foursquare rating: 9.15

No need to be an art connoisseur — this museum highlights self-taught, untrained, intuitive artistry.

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Massachusetts: Museum of Science

boston science museum
Christina Collins/Foursquare

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Foursquare rating: 9.14

Kids and adults alike will enjoy the butterfly garden and live animal presentations, not to mention a special exhibit about New England habitats.

 

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Michigan: Henry Ford Museum

ford museum
Sergey Konashenkov/Foursquare

Location: Dearborn, Michigan

Foursquare rating: 9.45

Take a drive down memory lane with the Henry Ford Museum's collections of presidential limousines and automotive memorabilia.

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Minnesota: Minneapolis Institute of Art

minneapolis art museum
John Sommer/Foursquare

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Foursquare rating: 9.58

The variety of art styles, mediums and eras make the free admission an even better deal.

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Mississippi: INFINITY Science Center

MS Space Museum Foursquare
bekki h./Foursquare

Location: Pearlington, Mississippi

Foursquare rating: 8.32

Located not far from NASA's Stennis Space Center, the science museum includes a variety of exhibits that encompass earth and space.

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Missouri: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

bloch building missouri
Brandi martin/Foursquare

Location: Kansas City, Missouri

Foursquare rating: 9.50

The museum's Bloch Building is one of Travel + Leisure's 12 most beautiful buildings in the world. What's inside doesn't disappoint.

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Montana: Museum of the Rockies

Museum of the Rockies Montana
Jason C./Foursquare

Location: Bozeman, Montana

Foursquare rating: 8.53

This remote, college town museum features the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the United States, as well as the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever discovered. But it's not all archaeological wonders here. There's also much to learn about the history of the Rockies — the nearby mountain range which gives the museum its name.

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Nebraska: Joslyn Art Museum

joslyn Art Museum nebraska
Facebook/Joslyn Art Museum

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Foursquare rating: 8.96

This is Nebraska's premiere fine arts museum, and features a huge collection from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

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Nevada: The Mob Museum

Mob Museum
Rob P./Foursquare

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Foursquare rating: 9.1

If you've seen "Casino," you know that Las Vegas has a history with the mob. Opened in 2012, the museum is an incredibly thorough collection of America's history with the mob.

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New Hampshire: Currier Museum of Art

New Hampshire Museum
Crystal P./Foursquare

Location: Manchester, New Hampshire

Foursquare rating: 8.63

The art museum's permanent collection includes works from Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

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New Jersey: Ellis Island Immigration Museum

Ellis Island
David Jones/Flickr

Location: Jersey City, New Jersey

Foursquare rating: 8.65

New York and New Jersey fought for years over who has possession of this historic landmark. A Supreme Court decision eventually decided that most of Ellis Island was in New Jersey. Between 1892 and 1954, over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island's gates and called the surrounding areas home. Today, visitors can learn about America's immigration history and maybe even reconnect with their own ancestors.

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New Mexico: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum New Mexico
Willa K./Foursquare

Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Foursquare rating: 8.2

Georgia O'Keeffe is one of America's most famous artists, and she did some of her best work while living in New Mexico, constantly inspired by the state's natural beauty. Santa Fe, where she eventually died, now hosts a museum of her artwork.

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New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

MET
There are a lot of museums in New York, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the crowd favorite. Drew XXX/Flickr

Location: New York, New York

Foursquare rating: 9.68

One of the world's largest art museums, The Met is located alongside Manhattan's Central Park and boasts a collection of Renaissance paintings, Medieval armor, and even ancient Egyptian ruins. 

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North Carolina: North Carolina Museum of Art

North Carolina Museum of Art
Josie H./Foursquare

Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

Foursquare rating: 9.54

The Tar Heel State-based museum houses 40 galleries and thousands of years of art. It also boasts the nation's largest museum art park.

 

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North Dakota: Heritage Center

North Dakota Museum Wooly Mammoth
Erin M./Foursquare

Location: Bismarck, North Dakota

Foursquare rating: 7.77

The official museum of North Dakota's history includes a massive Mastodon skeleton.

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Ohio: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Hester B./Foursquare

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Foursquare rating: 9.08

One of Cleveland's most popular tourist attractions, the hall of fame covers the greatest in music, from The Beatles to N.W.A.

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Oklahoma: Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

Oklahoma City Memorial
Kellie/Foursquare

Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Foursquare rating: 9.4

The memorial recognizes the victims who lost their lives in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murah Federal Building on April 19, 1995.

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Oregon: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI)

Oregon Museum Legos
Michael D/Foursquare

Location: Portland, Oregon

Foursquare rating: 9.03

The museum is full of hands-on exhibits, all focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology.

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Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadephia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art/Foursquare

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Foursquare rating: 9.45

Perhaps most famous for giving Rocky Balboa a staircase to run up, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is also one of America's finest art museums. 

 

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Rhode Island: International Tennis Hall of Fame

Tennis Hall of Fame Newport Rhode Island
Tarun B./Foursquare

Location: Newport, Rhode Island

Foursquare rating: 8.19

Tennis is a staple of this beachside town in Rhode Island, so it's fitting that you can learn about the sport's history here.

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South Carolina: Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

South Carolina Museum
James M./Foursquare

Location: Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Foursquare rating: 9.03

The naval museum hosts a World War II-era aircraft carrier, a submarine, and a cannon used in the Civil War. 

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South Dakota: Children's Museum of South Dakota

South Dakota Children's Museum
Children's Museum of South Dakota

Location: Brookings, South Dakota

Foursquare rating: 8.05

The museum made just for kids includes play areas, dinosaurs (not real), and its own prairie to echo the one that makes up much of the state.

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Tennessee: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Country Music Museum
Juanita S./Foursquare

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Foursquare rating: 9.08

From Johnny Cash to Taylor Swift, some of country music's greatest stars got their start in Tennessee's capital city. Some of country music's greatest artifacts, and a lot of gold records, are on display at the Hall of Fame. 

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Texas: Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston Mars Rover
Rafael G./Foursquare

Location: Houston, Texas

Foursquare rating: 8.8

Much of an astronauts' training will happen at NASA's Houston base. The space center will allow you to get close to Saturn V and the Apollo 17 command module, amongst many other things. There's a reason the astronauts called for Houston when they had a problem. 

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Utah: Clark Planetarium & IMAX Theater

Planeterium
Artem P/Foursquare

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Foursquare rating: 8.41

Besides an array of features on its certified IMAX screen, the planetarium also offers over 10,000 square feet of science and space-related exhibits.

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Vermont: Shelburne Museum

Vermont Steamboat Museum
Chris M Morris/Flickr

Location: Shelburne, Vermont

Foursquare rating: 8.15

Boasting 35 buildings, this Vermont-based museum is a mix of art and history. Among the many oddities you'll see here are an old steamboat, which likely once docked in the nearby Lake Ticonderoga.

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Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg
Shan O/Foursquare

Location: Williamsburg, Virginia

Foursquare rating: 9.27

A living history museum, Colonial Williamsburg brings a city that went through both colonial America and the Revolutionary War to life. Besides just the buildings, reenactors show what it was like to live during this time in history.

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Washington: EMP (Experimental Music Project) Museum

EMP Museum Seattle
Ian Phillips/INSIDER

Location: Seattle, Washington

Foursquare rating: 9.24

Located below the Space Needle, this museum has extensive exhibits on Jimi Hendrix and grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, which put the Pacific Northwest city on the map. In addition, there are rooms dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and fantasy movies. You can also find an exhibit on the Seattle Seahawks, the city's beloved NFL team. The exterior of the museum, meanwhile, was designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry.

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West Virginia: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry West Virginia
Mark Fickett/Wikimedia Commons

Location: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Foursquare rating: 9.16

In this case, the entire town is the museum. Harpers Ferry is a slice of Civil War history amidst the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.

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Wisconsin: Milwaukee Art Museum

milwaukee art museum
Carmen Staub/Foursquare

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Foursquare rating: 9.14

Nestled along Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Art Museum was Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava's first building in the United States. It made a guest appearance in "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon," and is one of the largest museums in the country.

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Wyoming: Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Screen Shot 2016 08 31 at 3.32.14 PM
Andrea/Foursquare

Location: Cody, Wyoming

Foursquare rating: 8.69

The Buffalo Bill Center is actually a complex of five museums that show off art, history, firearms, Native Americans, and the legendary Buffalo Bill himself. 

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